Gas valve



da., 4, K3, v D. G. KAPPELMAN 2,3%974@ v GAS VALVE Filed June 25, 1937 DO. WAN

. y Patented Oct. 4, 1938 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE f 2,131,740V Y A ons VALVE Donald'G. Kappelman, Chicago, Ill. y Appiieation .rime 25, 19,37, serial No. 150,250

` i claim. (ci. 28a- 18) The present invention relates to agas valve J Figure 4 is an axial view of the male and and more particularly toa two-part connection female members connected in operative relation- `for use in a branch connection from a gaspipe or ship, showing the valve in open position. conduit to an appliance, such as a gas stove, gas Figure 5 is an end view of the female member iron, washing machine, or the like, to positively of Figure 3, looking at the right hand end there- 5 shut off the gas in the event the connection to the of, with the hose removed.

appliance is accidentally parted. y Figure 6 is an end view of themale member,

In connection with the use of gas appliances, it looking at the right hand end of Figure 2. is usual, particularlyin therhome, to connect such Figure 7 is a fragmental axial sectional view y appliances to gas lines by means of exible hose, through the female member, showing a different 10 an end of the hose being pushed over a corrumanner of supportingthe locking washerin the gated neck and held in position by the resiliency member.

of the hose.- oftentimes someone trips over such Figure `8 is an end view of the assembled male a hose disconnecting it from the appliance, or and female members, lookirifr at the left hand end lig from the supply, whereupon gas escapes to the of Figure 41, with the pipe or hose removed.` 15

atmosphere carrying with it sickness and some- The drawing will now be explained. timers death, Y In Figure `l, reference numeral I represents a It is to prevent such gas escape when an applisection of a wall through which a gas'pipe 2 proance is accidentally disconnected froma gas jeCtS and Which forms part of a gas supply main.

. a9 maimtnat the present invention is directed. The. male member A ofthe device is formed v20 An objectof the present inventionis to provide With a Cylindreal Skirt DOItOIl 3 eXterOrly a two-part device which may be interposed in a threaded t0 threadedlyerlgage a pipe or hose 4. branch gas line, so constructed that when the AS arl integral Dart 0f the member, there iS all parts are connected gas lowis permitted, and elongated Heek 5 Projecting from the Skirt D01- should the parts become accidentally discontion c1-S ShOWn. The Heek iS centrally bored as at 25 heated, the flow is automatically *Stopped` .1 6, and the member is formed with an annular Another object ofthe present invention is to valve seat 'I at the end of the bore 6 in communiprovide a two-part gas valve structure for use cation with the interior of. theskirt. Therextewith auxiliary gas lines, so constructed that the rior of the neck 5 is smooth, eXCeDt fOr arl armuv 3o parts may be easily separated, which separation lar recess 8 formed on itradjacent the skirt por- 30 y eieetually stops gas escape., tion, for a purpose to bellater explained. The A further` object Ofthevpresent invention is t0 eXtelOl Of the neCk iS preferably tapered, Slightly, provide a two-.part device for use withV branch gas towards the free end ofthe neck to cooperate lines, one of which parts carries a normally closed lwith a similarly` tapered bore in the female valve arrangement, and the other of the parts llerrlberfolV the purpose 0f @entering the male ..35 carries `means for opening the valve to gas `ow and female members when connected. when the parts are connected together by relative A stem S extends through the interior of the endwise movement and wherein the valve is skirt portion 3 and into the bore i3.V A disc Il? is maintained open as Vlong as the parts are consecured to-the stem and serves as a valve member 40 nected but wherein the valve automatically closes for engaging the seat l to close flow communica- 40 when the parts are separated. tion between the interior of the skirt and the The above, other, and further objects of the bore 6 of `the neck. At the outer end of thestem, present invention will be apparent from the folwhich is the right hand end as viewed in Figures lowing description and accompanying drawing. 2 and 4, an apertured disc I I is attached, the v 4,5 The accompanying drawing illustrates embodiperiphery of which travels within the bore S and ments of the Apresent invention, and the views serves as a guide for this end of the stem. The thereof are' as follows; v disc iI is, in Figure 6, shown as formed with three Figure 1 is a, View' in elevation, with the parts arms diverging from a central hub portion which broken away, showing two of` thefdevices of the receives the stem 9.

30 present invention installed inl an auxiliary gas The other end of the skirt is equipped with an 50 line for connecting an accessory to a gas main. apertured disc E2 which has a centrally disposed Figure 2 is an axial sectional View through lthe opening to receive one end of the stem 9 for guidmale member of one form ofthe invention. ing this -endof the stem as it is moved Within the l Figure Slis anaxial view of a mating female member.V One `form of construction of the disc I2 member V:for use withwthe memberof ,Figurel 1 is illustrated in Figure 8. 55

Interposed between the disc I2 and the valve member I is a spring I3, which surrounds the stem 9 and functions to maintain the valve member normally seatedfthus normally closing flow through the male member.

In Figure 1 the male member A is shown as attached to the pipe 2 by a coupling C.

'Ihe female member B- of the device is fashioned to provide an enlarged end I4 which has a conically shaped interior surface I5 extending inwardly for a short distance, where it communicates with a bore I6 slightly tapered, convergently, towards the right hand end of the member, as shown in the drawing. The member is formed with a neck portion I'I which is exteriorly threaded to receive a hose or pipe I8.

Secured adjacent the extremity of the neck I1, as by threading or swedging, is an apertured disc I9 of the character shown in Figure 5, which at its center carries a pin extending axially part way of the bore I6 towards the left hand end of the member, fas viewed in the drawing.

At the extremity of the enlarged end I4, a washer of resilient material, such as rubber or rubber composition, indicated at 2|, is supported against the extremity of this end of the member by means -of a ring 'nut 22 threaded onto the exterior of 'the member. The washer has a central 'opening 253 having a diameter less than the minimum diameter of the tapered neck of the male member, -so that when the members are connected together by relative endwise movement, 'the washer will effectively seal the union between these members against gas escape.

n Figure l, the female member Brapp'ears as connected to the member A at the supply end of the line, while a second female member B- is secured to a second male member A adjacent an accessory, such as represented at D, which may be 'a gas stove, a gas iron, a washing machine, or other Vgas using appliance.

Joining the two lmembersA and B, of Figure 1, is `a hose "or other conduitE Tnis 'is shown asa pipe, although it is to be understood that it might be fa flexible hose of the type commonly used for 'connecting gas appliances to gas outlets.

.In 'utilizing the 'device of the present invention, the 'male .member A will be se'cured'to the vgas line or 'conduit 2., `and the female member B will be attac-hed to one end of the auxiliary conduit, such as hose E. the yother endvof the hose will Vbe applied a male member A, while another female member B 'will be attached to the appliance.

The male and female .members are connected together Tin 'operative relation by relative endwise movement.

'In :connecting the members A and B together, by relative endwise movement, the neck 5 of 'the male member Yis entered through the aperture 23 in the washer and then moved into the bore I6 of the female member. The conical surface I5 of the female member will serve to direct the end of the neck 5 of the male member into the female member bore if perchance vthese should be moved together carelessly. 'During such relative movement the washer 2| passes over the neck 5 until it engages the annular recess 8. By the time the washer engages the annular recess V8, the pin 20 of the female member has engaged the stem 9 ,of the valve structure of the -male member, and

has displaced the valve .from its seat, thus opening the male member to gas flow. The tapering of the neck 5 and the bore I6 Aof the female member aids in centering the -stem and 4pin to assure opening the valve when the two members are connected together.

It is to be noted that the relationship of the parts is such that the Washer 2l does not engage the annular recess 8 to connect the members together in operative relation until after the valve has been unseated, thus assuring that when the members are properly connected together, gas flow through the male member is possible.

Figure 4 illustrates the arrangement of the parts when the two members are connected together in gas flow relation, and shows the washer slightly distorted which it becomes when applied over the neck 5 of the male member.

Instead of applying the washer 2| in the manner shown in Figure 3, it might be applied as shown in Figure 7, in which construction the enlarged head I4' of the female member B is, at its left extremity, formed with an annular margin providing a shoulder 24 against which a washer 25 may be seated. After the washer has been seated, the margin is spun or otherwise clinched over the washer to rhold it in position.

The form of the device, as described, is one comprising two members which are connected together and separated by relative endwise movement and in which one of the members is provided with normally vclosed valve means, the other lme'mber being provided with means for opening the valve means to gas flow when the two members are connected together. The connection is `such that when any separation occurs the valve automatically closes.

In the construction of the form shown in Fig- Iures V1 Ito 8 inclusive, should a re occur in the neighborhood vof a device of the present invention, the washer would melt to such an extent as to release the tight engagement between the m'ale and female members, thereupon allowing slight movement 'of the female member with refsp'ect to the male member so that the valve might 'automatically Abe closed thus shutting off gas escape. The strength of the spring I3 is designed to 'urge the valve Yto closed or seated position and to shift the member B with respect to the member A whenever the holding means, that is, the washer 2 I,\or the washer 25 of Fig. 7, fails to hold.

It will also l'be observed that the yconstruction ofthe devices shown contemplates the provision 'of means which maybe spoiled by abnormal heat to effect automatic shut-'off of the gas in the event 'fire occurs in fthe neighborhood of the devices.

The spring `I3 iselfective to normally urge the valve Il] towards its seat and possesses sufficient ability to shift the members apart, in the event of failure 'of `the washer to hold, thereby automaticallyclosingthe male member to gas flow.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood that Vthe invention is not limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts,'and equivalents maybe substitut'ed, without departing from the spirit and scope of the "invention,

The yinvention is claimed as follows:

A Y'device for connecting a gas burning appliancre to a gas supply line comprising two separabl'e members adapted to be coupled and uncoupled by :relative endwise movement, one of said members adapted to be connected to the gas supply line and formed 'with a skirt defining an inlet 'chamber and a tapered fneck ofless ldiameter having a bore with 'a 1valve seat yabout the inlet end of *the bore, 'a spider xe'd in ythe inlet end of said chamber and having an axial-opening `for a valve stem, a valve stem extending axially throughsaid chamber and into said bore, the inner end of said stem being entered in and guided by the -axial opening of said spider, a second spider fixed to the other end of said stem and movable Within said bore in contact with the bore Wall for maintaining said stem in the axis of the bore, a valve on the stem between its ends and movable within said chamber against and away Vfrom `said seat,y a spring surrounding said stem between said first mentioned spider and said valve to normally seat said valve, the other of said members adapted to be connected to the gas burning appliance and having a part to receive the neck of said one member, said other member having a part enterable in the bore of said neck to move said stem to unseat the valve vofy said one= member'when said` asilo be engaged by said washer onlyafter said other `member Yhas-been Vmoved in endwise relation toward said one member a distance suicient to unseat said valve, said spring possessing sufficient strength to separate said members and to seat said valve in the event of failure 'of said Washer to hold.

DONALD G. KAPPELMAN. 

